Sakura Kinoshita Appreciation Thread

[Debitt]

I am a very excited fangirl - I recently got my hands on the first chapter of Sakura Kinoshita's new manga, New Paradise, and in celebration I've decided to start up a lovely Sakura Kinoshita appreciation thread.

Who is Sakura Kinoshita? For those of you who are unfamiliar with her work, Sakura Kinoshita is the author of Matantei Loki, Matantei Loki Ragnarok, and New Paradise, and the co-author of Tactics (the other author being Kazuko Higashiyama). She is also a member of the doujinshi circle Mad Cookie Monster (the other member is, surprisingly, Kazuko Higashiyama), and oddly enough they write a good amount of Tactics doujinshi.

In fact, I think most of Mad Cookie Monster's stuff is Tactics doujinshi...but I digress.

All of Sakura Kinoshita's major manga series are based off of mythology in some form or another. Matantei Loki/Ragnarok is based off of Norse mythology, while Tactics and New Paradise are based off of elements of Japanese folklore (Tactics moreso than New Paradise thus far). Even better than this, is the fact that her work is almost entirely clean, with very little swearing or fanservice that I can think of off the top of my head. And did I mention that her art is unbelievably beautiful? *points to attachments*

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we all should love Sakura Kinoshita. I'll go crawl back under my rock now. XD With the latest issue of Tactics.

[Joshua Christopher]

Well, seeing as much as I've implanted Giant Robo into your head, I guess I owe you this.

Having seen one episode of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, I can safely say.... Thor is cool.

[Mangafanatic]

Yay for Sakura Kinoshita!!

*sees new manga title*

Ooo. What is New Paradise about, Koko-chan?

[Joshua Christopher]

Yay for Sakura Kinoshita!!

*sees new manga title*

Ooo. What is New Paradise about, Koko-chan?

Paradise. But not the old one. The *NEW* one!

Or something completely different!

[Debitt]

Ooo. What is New Paradise about, Koko-chan?

So far my meager skills in Japanese have deduced as such: the main character is a high school(?) boy who slays youkai - with a spiffy revolver. Things are not all good, however, as one of his friends gets kidnapped by a black youkai, who eventually ends up in his company. XD; Yeah, I really need to sit down and translate this one instead of just skimming and staring at the pretty pictures.

Someone on Livejournal mentioned that in the world New Paradise takes place in, humans are the oppressed minority, while youkai are the ruling class. It doesn't particularly seem that way, except for the first couple pages, where you see something like a flashback of a fight between the black youkai and a mysterious dude who totes a gun - my guess is that the main character is a reincarnation of the mysterious dude, whom the black youkai now wants to seek revenge upon? xD But I'm totally just throwing ideas out there now - like I said I really need to sit down and translate this.

[Joshua Christopher]

This does not sound like much of a paradise. : O

But guy with revolver=awesome. Revolver Ocelot. Revolver Joshelot. YES.

Scan some pictures pleeeeeeeeeeeeease. ; 3

[Spiritsword]

Yay Sakura Kinoshita! Besides having an awesome first name and incorporating Norse mythology into her work, her art is absolutely fabulous! But how about posting a few pics of the cute girls she draws, Kokoro? We guys would appreciate that aspect of her artwork.

Sakura Kinoshita is great! I look forward to the next volume of Loki Rangnarok and am strongly considering buying the first DVD of Matantei Loki.

[Kami]

<333 I wish they would release Tactics and Loki Ragnarok. I read 3 other manga online, so I would rather not resort to that ! XD;

-Kami

[Joshua Christopher]

[quote="snowangel kamui"]<333 I wish they would release Tactics and Loki Ragnarok. I read 3 other manga online, so I would rather not resort to that ! XD]

They are out, pick them up at your local manga-carrying bookstore.

[Debitt]

[quote="snowangel kamui"]<333 I wish they would release Tactics and Loki Ragnarok. I read 3 other manga online, so I would rather not resort to that ! XD]
They're out, however they're so painfully slow at releasing her manga. T_T; I was incredibly upset when Matantei Loki Ragnarok 3 was pushed back from June to DECEMBER. *foams at mouth* I am not ADV's number one fan.

[Doubleshadow]

[quote="Kokoro Daisuke"]They're out, however they're so painfully slow at releasing her manga. T_T]
Is that why the second issue of Tactics has never appeared in the bookstore? Ah.
Just reading 'June to December' is enough to irk me. Sheesh.

[Debitt]

Tactics 2 has been out for a while, but it took me a lot of running around and twitching before I finally procured myself a copy. Tactics 3 still has an unknown release date, which really irks me because that's an interesting volume. T_T; It's so annoying how spastic their release dates are - my brother started collecting Yotsuba& and got the first volume of it after I had gotten my copy of Tactics 2. Now three volumes of Yotsuba& are out, and there's still no sign of Tactics.

I really do enjoy Yotsuba&, but I want my beloved Tactics!

On another note, I just got the first Matantei Loki Ragnarok DVD today...*_* You all should too. I'm so happy right now. XD I think I'm going to change my avatar to Loki or Heimdall.

[Spiritsword]

I just got my copy of Matantei Loki Ragnarok (anime) the other day. I have watched two episodes so far (twice) as I am trying to make it last. But I have yummy pizza to eat tonight so I shall watch Ep. 3 tonight!

Kokoro, is the anime series based on the first manga series, or both? I thought the first manga series was Matantei Loki, and the second (that is out in the US) was Matantei Loki Ragnarok. But then I see that the anime (which I thought was based on the first manga series) has "Ragnarok" in its title. I'm confused...

[Debitt]

If I had to choose one, I think I'd have to say that the anime is based more off of the 1st series, though it really does go off on its own track most of the time. I think it's called Matantei Loki Ragnarok because at the time it was made, Squenix still had the rights to the first series, while Mag Garden, who is credited in the anime, had the rights to the 2nd series.

^^ Scanned a picture of the Black Youkai from the September Comic Blade issue. It's really supposed to be in color, but my scanner whacked out on me. XD; I'll have to scan more, there's a girl in there who looks a bit like Verdandi and I thought of you, Spiritsword.

[Spiritsword]

Thanks, Kokoro! I can always count on you for the best Sakura Kinoshita info!

And thanks for the pic! Yay! I look forward to the other you mentioned as well, if you post it! ^___^

[Kami]

:: Fangirl squeal :: I got Loki the Anime today :: Evil Smirk :: OHMYGOSHILOVEITSOMUCHIWANNADIE.

-Kami

[Spiritsword]

So those who have gotten the Loki Ragnarok anime, (especially our resident expert Kokoro), what do you think of the opening and closing animation and songs? How about the dub voices (or do you listen to the dub)?

[Debitt]

the opening, both the song and the animation took a while for me to warm up to, though I admit I absolutely love Loki and his pretty shiny wings. ^^

Believe in Heaven = the bestest ever. I LOVE the closing animation, the song, GAH~ *fangirls* It and Tactics's opening, Secret World are among my favorite OP/ED sequences...ever ever. o.o

The dub...I was actually very pleasantly surprised with the dub. There was only one completely unbearable voice, and that was Koutarou's. *shudders* Heimdall and Mayura's voices I actually really liked. Loki and Yamino's voices fit, but there were very obvious moments where they were lacking in enthusiasm - or maybe it's because I'm really used to hearing Loki shout "MAYURA" in his Japanese voice.

[Debitt]

Old thread with new news.

Take a gander at the release date and feel your heart explode

...as much self control as it's taking, I'm not going to launch into a rant about ADV's disappointing treatment of Sakura Kinoshita's work.

[Aka-chan]

You're KIDDING me. That has GOT to be a typo.

On another note, I have quite a pressing question. Is Sugino a guy or a girl? The fansubs I saw and his voice made me quite sure he was a guy, but the English manga seems to make him a girl (and Muu a boy). This is troubling, so I thought I'd ask the experts. The manga was quite traumatic, as I had thought Sugino was pretty hot... ;_;

[Mangafanatic]

2012!? That's not possible! I mean, surely they wouldn't even schedule releases that far in advance. Surely that's a typo. . . surely. . .

*begins rallying the peasants*

[mai]

2012... I'm going to be 22 by then *dies*. I really hope that was a typo, I mean it doesn't take that long to translate it and there other comics are coming out faster..I think.
Has a reason been given as to why it has taken so long?

[Debitt]

[quote="Aka-chan"]On another note, I have quite a pressing question. Is Sugino a guy or a girl? The fansubs I saw and his voice made me quite sure he was a guy, but the English manga seems to make him a girl (and Muu a boy). This is troubling, so I thought I'd ask the experts. The manga was quite traumatic, as I had thought Sugino was pretty hot... ]
Sugino is indeed a man...if you listen to the anime/read the Japanese manga, he refers to himself with "ore"...so the gender confusion is SUCH a bad mistake on ADV's part. *grumbles*

And nope...haven't seen a reason for ANY delay at all. Matantei Loki Ragnarok 3 was originally scheduled for June 2005, and ADV has declined to answer any of the letter's I've sent them. (1 calling them on translation errors in Tactics, 1 asking why a banner advertising Tactics on their site uses art from vol. 3 when they haven't even given a release date for vol. 3, and 1 questioning why they haven't told us why Loki 3 has been delayed so badly...I think they're getting sick of me.)

[Tarnish]

2012.
Like I didn't already have enough reasons to hate ADV...

[Aka-chan]

Sugino is indeed a man...if you listen to the anime/read the Japanese manga, he refers to himself with "ore"...so the gender confusion is SUCH a bad mistake on ADV's part. *grumbles*

And nope...haven't seen a reason for ANY delay at all. Matantei Loki Ragnarok 3 was originally scheduled for June 2005, and ADV has declined to answer any of the letter's I've sent them. (1 calling them on translation errors in Tactics, 1 asking why a banner advertising Tactics on their site uses art from vol. 3 when they haven't even given a release date for vol. 3, and 1 questioning why they haven't told us why Loki 3 has been delayed so badly...I think they're getting sick of me.)

Good. I flipped out so bad when I read "she". I was pretty sure of all that.

Terrible. Sheesh, maybe we should all write to them. Got an address?

[Debitt]

http://www.advfilms.com/FILMScontact.asp

That's all I can find right now. I need to go digging through the Tactics LJ community to find their mailing address. <3

[mai]

Tactics is listed on Tokyopop's site as being released in April 2007.

[Debitt]

*_* They finally gave a release date?! *JOY* I am SO excited! X3 I really wanted to support Sakura Kinoshita's work in the US, and it was a real bummer to see ADV's release go down the tubes.

[MyrrhLynn]

Good. I flipped out so bad when I read "she". I was pretty sure of all that.

Me too! I did the same thing actually: "Kokoro!!! Is Sugino a guy or a girl?!?"

In the anime his voice is way to low to be a girl's voice. And if he were a girl(which he's not) he would win the award for being the most flat chested anime girl I've ever seen.

Humm I must be out of it. I never even realized there were 2 manga series. No wonder I was confused by how different the manga seems.

Has anyone seen the last episode of Loki and knows who that girl character is (the one at the very end that they show ringing the door bell)?? I always thought maybe she was someone from the manga that we never got to meet but maybe I'm wrong. And we only see her for like 2 seconds so I always hoped it was a hint at a second season of Loki (although that doesn't seem likely).

[Debitt]

Has anyone seen the last episode of Loki and knows who that girl character is (the one at the very end that they show ringing the door bell)?? I always thought maybe she was someone from the manga that we never got to meet but maybe I'm wrong. And we only see her for like 2 seconds so I always hoped it was a hint at a second season of Loki (although that doesn't seem likely).

^_^ That's Spica/Angrboda, the mother of Fenrir, Hel, and Jormungand/Yamino. She shows up pretty early on in the second manga series - I'm not sure why she's randomly at the end of ep. 26, but I was happy to see her for just a little bit. XD